Day Thirteen, 9.30.08

Hi team,


As I look at the title of this blog posting, all I can think is 'Wow, how is it already the end of day thirteen? Where has the time gone?' There are so many words that come to mind to describe the path this journey has taken. (Sorry to get a bit sentimental on you guys today, but this is my last night on the RV for a while and although I'm looking forward to a day off, part of me is going to miss being here despite all of the frustrations and emotions from being 'stuck' on a 34-foot vehicle for the past two weeks.) Its been a roller-coaster ride of emotion as well as a test on each member of Ground Team Ike's stamina and personal endurance. I'm glad to have been a part of it and share the home-sweet-home Stella has provided with Jane and Patricia; I hope the next round of GTI members has just as great an experience as I, and I believe Jane and Patricia, had. And, just for the record (back to the reference from Day One), I have no desire to drive this RV off a cliff, as Thelma and Louis did to finish their journey, although I can't speak for Patricia who's had the hassle of driving this thing around Texas and its neighborhoods as we went from site to site.


Today was a great day in Pasadena. Our site was great and the staff was so accommodating and friendly. We were also able to help a fair number of people in the morning and hand out even more applications for food stamps. Everyday it amazes me how many people do not receive enough help from FEMA to cover their losses or even make ends meet. Tomorrow should be another great day, at another new site.


Thanks again to everyone both on the ground and along the way who has helped all this come together, from advanced planning to brainstorming about the Ike Help Center website to the great volunteers who have brought us coffee in the morning. We all really appreciate the effort you're putting in to help make everything run smoothly.